The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-09-04
CLAY In TIE POTTERS' HAND
How 1t Is Dexterously Shaped Into
Great Variety of Useful Articles.
The Process by Which Jugs Are Made Quick
ly, with Little Aid from Machinery
What Trained Hands Can Do.

Across White river about quarter of mile
southwest of the Kentucky avenue bridge,
stands three-s story brick building occupied by
the Indianapolis Pottery Company. The owners
originally associated, some three years since,
the Roofing Tile Company. but years trial
convinced them that if tile roofing could be in
troduced here at all it would be with such halt
ing nastA that adequate market would be
afforded for their wares The work was there
fore shifted to pottery and stone-ware and in
this the results have been SO satisfactory that
the institution turns out almost every sort
of vessel that can be modelled from clay, at the
rate of three to four thousand gallons capacity
measurement per day.
The principal material used is fire clay, of
which two or three carloads are consumed each
week. 1t is of three qualities. which are OBJ
tanned respectively from Brazil, from the lower
OF Clay county. and from Montezuma
in Parke county. This clay is washed in ma
chine made for the purpose, and then, in
creamy, liaud state, is into large watts out
side, where it stands until evaporation has re-
duced it to the consistency of putty. It is then
made into rolls two three feet long and
moved TO the building where the ancient and
honorable art of the potter is applied to 1t.
When a Journal reporter shown through
the works a few days ago, by Mr. Gus. Bruner.
the manager, the first workman encountered
was making two gallon jugs. And right here.
will the reader imagine If he can, how jug is
made. The chances are that, if uninitiated. he
will lapse into the dazed feeling that produced
King Georges dumping conundrum; Pray.
then. how got the apple in!" The process is
very simple. boy weighs out the amount of
clay necessary for the vessel-in this it is
nearly as much material as would make two
bricks. He then cuts It again and again over
stretched wire. Datting the pieces each time to
expel the air 1t may contain and presses
it in fiat roll for the potter.
The potter throws the prepared roll on the
ter of his wheel-a fiat disk, revolving horizon
taly-moistens it slightly, and presses it down
with his hands, while the motion of the wheel.
like a turner's lathe. gives it the shape Of the
top of a newell post Now the workman's
thumbs go down slowly and firmly into the clay
until it becomes a fat bottomed dish with q
heavy rim. aud in this form he applies to the in
terror wooden gauge to fix the size of the bot
This and the weighing of tie clay the
only measurements made, the remainder de-
ponds on the eye and the hands of the potter.
W hirr, goes the wheel: the edges of the dish
rasped between the thumbs and fingers of the
potter, and the clay rises in the shape of hol-
low cone at his will. Down 60 the hands. one
inside and one out, and as they rise again the
cone disappears and an urn-shaped vessel with
narrow mouth, is spinning around on the wheel
Down go the hands again; the one outside
catches q short wooden rule and takes off the
superfuous clay at the bottom with whiz. The
wheel lessons its speed. Slowly the hands
come up, and the urn transforms to JUG under
their pressure, slanting out slightly. and then
rounding gracefully in until one finger inside
and the hand outside fashion the mouth. The
wooden rule goes lightly down over the EXTERIOR
the wheel stops: the potter passes a piece of wire
across the vince !, cutting the vessel loose; he
slips peculiar double tray under it; and there
is your jug ready for the next process. Time,
two minutes.
The handle is fashioned separately and fas-
tened to the jug. after Ii is partially dried, by
dipping the ends in clay paste and pressing them
tightly against the surface The glaze,
"slip." is prepared IN liquid form and the vessel
dipped in it II is applied to the interior of
open ware by a small force pump, the vessel be-
ing inverted over the nozzle of the pump. The
drying. burning, and cooling consume from
seven to eight days
At the other wheels other workmen are max
ing milk pans, butter-crocks, flower potts. vases,
and what not, of all sizes aud shapes The pro-
cess with these is much the same with the
jug, except that pans and crooks turned in
moldS, and this method is called pressing" in
stead of throwing" In tho way of knick-
knacks they have chicken -fountain"-a Jug
shaped vessel with SIN all bowl on one sde-in
which the only opening in the jug is hole at
the bottom of the bowl It works the princi-
pie of the atmospheric inkstand, the water flow
ing into the bowl when that in the bowl comes
down to the level of the opening The exposed
water surface is sufficient for the fowls. put
small enough to keep them out Of it. and also to
prevent evaporation. Another novelty is jug
bank for children, which has opening but the
one where the money goes in. 1t resemble
faro bank in that when you break the bank you
get the money ont.
The wheels the lower floor are turned by
steam power On the upper floor were found
workmen using what they call a "kick-wheel.
1t is turned with the foot like q common trsadle-
wheel, with the exception that instead of going
mp and down the treadle moves back and forth
norizontaly is that as easy as the up-and-
Down motion?" was asked of the workman.
Yes when You used to it. 1
but one up-and-down treadls used by potter.
and that was at a small shop in Missouri"
How much considered days work with
you9
Seventy two of these" He making gal
on jugs
'"Seventy-two! Why, how many can you
make in hours"
81 have made sixty squirt, but man |
couldn't stand that rate very long" |
Many years ago a days work at the potter's |
rade was established arbitrarily certain |
number of each kind of vessel made by them. |
The mum Der fixed was small, and in consequence |
t is very common thing for a man to do five |
tx days work In working day. The |
INIT fixed, however, is very reasonable, for it |
equires long apprenticeship gac the
la education necessary for doing the regulation
lays work. There is probably trade where
o much depends upon the training of the work
nan-noue whore a mistake causes total
oss of the work AS watches the flying
= heel bis wonder is directed almost exclusively
o the steadlness of hand and aelcacy of touch
hat give shape TO the material AS he reflects,
his wonder finds and larger
leld In the power OF eye measurement which
an give nearly the same and form
hundreds of vessels. that scarcely be
from another. In both respects |
le attains a conception of the meaning of ''clay
n the hands of the potter" that he has never had
efore.
The New Denison Hotel. Indianapolis,
haau Yla civ ra6f Diaho |